Page 25 of Her Tempting Traitor
There was still dew on the back patio, and he deliberately avoided looking at the place where Gabby had first tripped and landed in his arms. Therewasenough of a difference in the stones that he didn’t think it had been contrived, and he knew enough about people to know her response to him definitely hadn’t been. Unlike her brother, her responses to him hadalwaysbeen natural.
Except…yesterday she’d asked him questions. Probing questions.
Normal questions, if she’s interested in ye. The way ye’re interested in her.
Except she’d asked…
What happened to your leg?
He couldn’t tell her what happened to his leg. He couldn’t tell her about his last mission, and it was strange as hell that she’d brought it up. Was it not?
The elephant—convalescing in its stable—was well-guarded, and the men said they hadn’t seen Gus, so he ducked into the other animal barn…and heard voices.
“This is Jerry the llama. Uncle Dickie has had him for ages.”
That was Gus’s voice. And the laughter that followedcaused Cassian to stumble—because his son was talking to Gabby.
“Well, hello there, Jerry. You are looking fine. What a smart tie you are wearing.”
“Uncle Dickie says the stable master makes him wear it so he can tell the difference between Jerry and Suzanne. Uncle Dickie got Suzanne so we could have some baby llamas, but it didn’t work.”
“Oh?” Another low chuckle from Gabby.
“They don’t seem to like each other.”
“No baby llamas from you, eh, Jerald?”
Cassian picked up his pace, legs quivering as he hurried toward the opposite end of the building and heard Gus’s reply. “But once Uncle Dickie got it into his head to have baby llamas, Aunt Zilphia talked him into getting Steve.”
“I love how good you are with the animals,” Gabby complimented, and Cassian found himself slowing. His sonwasgood with Sir Richard’s menagerie, wasn’t he? “You can keep them all straight, and you know exactly what they like. It is very important to treat them as individuals when they are cherished family pets like these.”
Gus mumbled something, and Cassian heard Gabby’s low, throaty laughter.
Laughtershouldn’t be arousing. So why was hers?
“Well, you learned it well, lad. Did you have many pets growing up?”
“My father brought me a dog once.”
The announcement—and the realization that his sonrememberedthe old mutt, caused Cassian to stumble to a stop, groping for the edge of a barrel to hold himself upright.
“Tell me about your pup,” prompted Gabby, and he could imagine her attention switching between the sedate llama and the child.
“I was little…” Gus’s voice took on a far-away note, as if he was remembering across the years. “And I’m not exactly sure he brought it forme. Mama named him Lefty, he lived in our kitchen. He was old and his coat was dull and scraggly, and he only had three legs. My father found him at the train station half-starved, Mama said, and brought him home to beherproblem.”
Cassian’s fingers curled around the head of the barrel. He remembered that visit vividly, because it was one of the few times his young son had been genuinely interested in spending time with him as they got the dog settled.
As he recalled, he’d been gone again within the month, not stopping to consider the hardship he was placing on Artemesia by leaving her with the untrained mutt.The story of my life.
He’d spent years dropping problems on his wife’s lap, then disappearing. Marriage. A child. A scrounged mutt.
“It does not sound as if your mother was fond of the dog,” Gabby was musing.
“She said he was too old to be trained, and would be a burden. But he wasn’t. He was a good dog, loyal and friendly.”
Another thoughtful hum from Gabby. “And your father saw that. He must have seen it, yes, in order to bring Lefty home for you. Perhaps you got your love of animals fromhim.”
Cassian’s silent snort was matched by Gus’s loud one. “I’ve never seen him with another pet. But I suppose…” When he trailed off, Gabby made a noise, and the lad sighed and continued. “Hedoeslike to fuss.”
